GANIGAN SUPREME RETAINS WBC TITLE

WBC light flyweight champion Ganigan “Maravilla” Lopez (27-6, 17 KOs) successfully turned back the onslaught of Filipino official challenger Jonathan “Lightning” Taconing (22-2-1, 18 KOs) with a superb display of measured, disciplined and brilliant boxing.

From the clang of the first bell, which resonated throughout the cavernous Arena Coliseo, near Mexico City, Jonathan, who had a coiled dark blue dragon tattooed all over his back, fought in flame thrower fashion, furiously flaring, flaying punches from all angles, attempting to back Ganigan on to the ropes and blast him.

Ganigan, who`s also a southpaw, used his height and reach advantages to excellent effect, keeping Jonathan at bay with drilling right leads, followed up by combinations. Sweeping uppercuts were a lot less successful. By the fourth, Jonathan was slightly cut over the right eyebrow, but kept boring in and hurt Ganigan with a wild right hand. Jonathan started every round the same, in all out attack mode, but Ganigan, quickly adapted and had his measure.

In the eighth Jonathan was deducted a point by Referee Thomas Taylor, after a clash of heads opened up a small but jagged cut over Ganigan`s right eye. The last four rounds were tough, as the unremitting pace was tiring 34 year old Ganigan, who`s five years older that the Filipino fighter. But he maintained his boxing strategy, which mostly neutralized the aggression of the Filipino firebrand to prevail: 115-112, 118-109, 119-108. (WBC NEWS)